Coining press

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a coining press having a coining drive comprising a power-transmitting element, provision for feeding coin blanks via a table to a ring collar, a driven male die and an ejector die which are opposed and adapted to be pressed together by means of the coining drive with the interposition in each coining operation of a coin blank retained by the ring collar and having an ejector and an ejector drive means for removing the coin blanks when coined.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,910,096

Debus Oct. 7, 1975 [5 COINING PRESS 1,965,670 7 1934 Schauer 72/359 x 2,313,843 3/1943 Shaff 72/451 x [75] Invent Alfred Debus 3,661,008 5/1972 Barry 72 451 Dietzholztal-Ewersbach, Germany [73] Asslgnee: Theodor Grimmer Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Maschinenfabrik,

, A 1 l NetphenWerthenbach, Germany 35 1222 gem or Firm Glfford Chand er &

22 Filed: Sept. 17, 1974 211 Appl. NO! 506,849

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data The invention relates to a coining press having a coin- Sept. 18, 1973 Germany 2346810 ing drive comprising a power'transmimng element provision for feeding coin blanks via a table to a ring [52] us. c1. 72/344; 72/359; 72/451 collar, a driven male die and an ejector die which are [51 1m. (:1. B21D 22/00; B21D 45/00 Opposed d adapted to be Pressed together y means [58] Field of Search 72/359, 344, 346, 361, of the coining drive with the interposition in each 72/451 coining operation of a coin blank retained by the ring collar and having an ejector and an ejector drive 5 References Cited means for removing the coin blanks when coined.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 340,515 4/1886 Lyon et al 72/344 LO\ 0 45 LL ml'wsf US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of4 3,910,096

\ Z I i i 4 U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of4 3,910,096

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,910,096

COINING PRESS DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The driven male die of commercially available coining presses is disposed above the table and the ejector die or ram is disposed therebelow. There are two kinds of construction. In the first kind, the coining drive takes the form of a toggle drive disposed in the top part of the press, resulting in a relatively short element for transmitting the power to the driven male die. In the second kind of construction, a coining drive in the form of a toggle drive is disposed in the bottom part of the machine, and so a frame-like power-transmitting element is necessary to drive the driven male die from above. The ejector drive in both of these known constructions is a cam drive which so actuates the ejector die or ram that during coining it moves back into the ring collar by the amount necessary to maintain the correct coining pressure commensurate with the stroke made by the coining drive, whereafter the ejector die or ram rises to eject the coined coin blank. The coinfeeding and coinremoving facilities take the form of gripper tongs which place the blanks seriatum on the ring collar and remove them after coining.

A disadvantage of the bottom toggle drive construction is that the machine casing has to be relatively heavy, yet relatively severe vibrations are unavoidable. The machine casing needed for the other construction is lighter, but the frame-like transmission element projects, so that a relatively large weight has to be moved because of the required rigidity, leading to corresponding vibrations in the press.

There is a third kind of commercially available coining press wherein the male dies are disposed horizontally. A disadvantage here is the relatively considerable overall length and complications in the ejector system.

It is an object of the invention so to devise a coining press as described above in which the output from said press can be increased without any increase in the complexities of constructional outlay and even with a decrease in said complexity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a coining press on the section station A-B of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is another vertical section on the section station C-D of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the press;

FIG. 4 is a view to an enlarged scale of part of the coining press when in its change or ejection position, and

FIG. 5 shows the same part to the same scale when in the coining position. 7

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Fixed to a machine casing 1 is a main driving motor 2 which drives a variable transmission 3. Disposed on the casing 1 is a coining drive comprising a toggle transmission shown generally at 5, a rotatable crankshaft 6, a connecting rod 7 and two toggle levers 8, 9. The toggle levers 8, 9 bear by way of pivot pins "10-12 on a stationary part 13 of the coining drive and drive a powertransmitting element shown generally at which is basically in the form of a push-rod, comprising two portions and is a means of enabling a coining stroke to be made-which is directed away from the place where the coining drive is disposed. Associated with the power transmitting element 20 is a bearing member 14, a guide member 15 havinglateral projection 15a, and sleeve-like bearings 15b, a pushr-rod 16, a base plate 17 (FIG. 4), a male-die plate 18 and a male-die receiving member 19. As the crankshaft 6 rotates, the push-rod 16 makes in one example a stroke of e.g. twenty millimeters of which, for instance, 13 millimeters are backlash because of a gap 16b between the push-rod l6 and the base plate 17 (see FIG. 4). The gap 1612 represents a boundary between the top part and bottom part of the power-transmitting element 20.

The top part 17-19 thereof and the larger member of the push-rod 16 are already disposed in a machine table casing shown generally at 21 which comprises a number of elements including a table 22 and a guide bush 23. Guided therein is a driven male die 24 whose rearward end is retained by the receiving member 19. The base plate 17 has a collar 17a which is disposed in a recess 21a in a casing 21 and which, when the parts 17-19, 24 are forced down, abuts a damping ring 21b. The thickness of the male die plate 18 can be so selected that when the collar 17a is in engagement with the damping ring 2112, the coining surface of the male die 24 is flush with the top of the bush 23 that is to say of the table 22.

A ring collar or ferrule 25 which is secured by appropriate means 26 is disposed above the table 22 at a distance or height therefrom slightly greater than the thickness of a coin blank and extends around the coining station or area. An ejector ram 28 extends into the passage or orifice of the ring collar or ferrule 25 and is free to move between the ejection position shown in FIG. 4 and the coining position shown in FIG. 5.

The ejector ram 28 is secured. by means of a receiving member 29 to a multiple-element adjusting member 30 which provides fine angular adjustment of ejector die 28 and which has a collar 30a. A spring is received in a recess 31a in a bearing member 31 and cooperates with a spring 31b to provide damping. The bearing member 31 serves to guide the adjusting member 30. The upward stroke of the adjusting member 30 and therefore of ejector 28 is limited by a multiple-element abutment 32 which is mounted. in a stationary yoke 33 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) and is adjustable relatively thereto by means of a worm drive 34. The abutment 32 is adjusted to the required position by means of shims or the like 35 and is secured by members 36 and a locking nut 37. I A stationary yoke 33 is connected by Way of throughbolts 38, 39 to the stationary part 13 of the toggle transmission 5, so that a stationary frame 13, 33, 38, 39, is formed which is symmetrical of the coining operation and via which the linesof stress are closed on one another during coining.

Guided in abutment 32 are an ejector rod 40 and a transfer rod 40 which is spring-biased so as to be in continuous engagement with the adjusting member 30. By means of a pivoted rocker arm 42 carried by a bearing frame 43, the rod 40 is connected to a thrust rod 44 of a pneumatic element 45 which is able to force the ejector die 28 downwardly. The above noted parts 30, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 are for ease referred to as the ejector drive means. The force thus applied to the ejector ram 28 is in the opposite direction to the coining stroke but is less than the force producing the coining stroke. The bottom limit of the stroke of the ejector die 28 is controlled by an adjusting screw 46 which limits the pivoting of the rocker arm 42. Adjusting screw 46 is able to be adjusted so that the coining surface of ejector die 28 is substantially in alignment with the underside of the ring collar 25.

Received in the casing 21 is a step-by-step feed mechanism 50 which is shown in diagrammatic form and which drives an indexing table 51 which is disposed directly above the table 22 and which is formed at its peripheral parts with a number of recesses 52 which in shape match the shape of the coin blanks and which are angularly separated from one another at a distance corresponding to the stepping-on angle of the indexing table 51. Disposed at a stopping place of the recesses 52 is a storage shaft or chute 54 which extends above the table 22 and which receives coin blanks by means of a shaker conveyor (not shown). To the extent that the indexing table 51 is not covered by the chute 54, the collar and the securing means 26, it has a transparent cover 57 so that the indexing table 51 cannot be handled accidentally and both the coin blanks and the finished coins are protected against dust and other foreign bodies. To protect the coins, felt strips or other low-friction underlays can be provided on the table 22, and the distance which the coins and the blanks are conveyed on the table can be reduced by moving the chute 54 as close to the coining section as possible. Similar considerations apply in respect of a removal shaft or chute (not shown) for finished coins, such chute also being disposed at a stopping place of the recesses 52 in the table.

The novel coining press operates as follows:

One blank at a time goes from the stack of blanks in the chute 54 (FIG. 2) into a turntable recess 52 and is conveyed backwards on the table 22 until a blank 55 comes below the ring collar or ferrule 25 on to the male die 24 (FIG. 4). The timing of the feed mechanism 50 is so staggered relatively to the timing of the toggle transmission 5 that there is no jamming or blocking of the index table 51. With the system in the normal or initial position shown in FIG. 4, the rod 16 is still a long way below the base plate 17 and moves upwardly, so that the air space 16b becomes smaller and smaller.At this time the ejector ram 28 is in its lowest position. When the rod 16 strikes the base plate 17, the driven male die 24 rises, engages the coin blank 55 above it and pushes the same into the ring collar 25 against the force which the ejector drive 30, 40, 41, 42, 44, is applying to the ejector ram 28. When the adjusting member 30 abuts the abutment 32, the ejector ram 28 forms a relatively rigid stop or bumper against the still advancing driven die 24, so that the blank 55 interposed between the members 24 and 28 is cold extruded and given the required coining (FIG. 5). In the embodiment chosen as an example, the stroke of the male die 24 is 7 mm, corresponding to a push-rod stroke of 20 millimeters less 13 millimeters backlash. Because of the toggle drive 5 the push-rod 16 then immediately descends so that the ejector ram or die 28 ceases to experience pressure opposing the pressure of the ejector facility 30, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45. The member 28 28 descends, disengages the coined coin 55' from the ring collar 25 in its descent and lowers the coin 55 to the level of the table 22, corresponding to a return of the system to the ejection position shown in FIG. 4. The feed mechanism 50 then operates and the index table 51 moves on by one step so that the finished coin 55' is moved sideways out of the coining zone. When the next recess 52 containing a fresh blank 55 comes below the ring collar 25, the system has returned to its normal position. The finished coins disposed on the indexing table after the coining station continue to be carried along on the indexing table until reaching the ejector chute, whereafter the empty recesses 52 are ready to receive fresh coin blanks 55.

The coining press described above has the very high output of 350 coining operations per minute. since the force transmitted to the driven die 24 is transmitted over a short distance, the moving weights are relatively small; also, since the stresses of coining are closed over a short distance by way of the stationary frame 13, stationary hoke 33, and through bolts 38, 39, there is little vibration. The machine is indeed so quiet in operation that no prepared foundation work is needed for it and it can be set up on the floor of buildings above ground level. Another advantage is that the coining press takes up a very small base area.

While I have described but one embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that many changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A coining press having a coining drive comprising a power-transmitting element, means for feeding coin blanks via a table to a ring collar, a driven male die and an ejector die which are opposed and adapted to be pressed together by means of the coining drive with the interposition in each coining operation of a coin blank retained by the ring collar, and having an ejector and an ejector drive means for removing the coined coin blanks characterized in that the coining drive is disposed in the bottom part of the press and each stroke at the coining drive is made upwardly, whereas the ejector drive means is disposed in the top part of the press and the stroke of the ejector drive is made downwardly; and the power-transmitting element has a top portion the downwardly directed stroke of which is so limited that, before the coin blank feeding and coin blank ejector means operate, the coining surface of the driven male die is flush with the table.

2. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that the ejector drive means is a pressure source which in operation is operative continuously on the ejector die, the ejector pressure being less than the coining pressure; and the ejector die being adapted to move freely between the coining position and the ejection position and is always returned by the continuous pressure of the ejector drive means into the ejection ement the pressure of which acts via intermediate ele- I ments on the ejector die.

4. The coining press according to claim 1 characterized in that the ring collar is disposed above the table at a distance therefrom which is slightly greater than the thickness of a coin blank.

5. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that a stationary part of the coining drive, a yoke and two through bolts form a stationary press frame which is symmetrical of the coining station and by way of which the stress lines arising from the coining operation are closed.

6. The coining press according to claim 5, characterized in that the said through-bolts also serve as guides for the bottom part of the power-transmitting element and have lateral extensions having guide sleeves.

7. The coining press according to claim 5, characterized in that an abutment is provided which abutment is adjustable and locatable relatively to the yoke and which determines the stroke length of the ejector die.

8. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that the coin blank feeding and coin blank ejector means comprise a step-by-step feed mechanism having an index table formed with recesses to receive the coin blanks and the coined coin blanks; and the plane of said index table is disposed perpendicularly to the direction of coining, the feed mechanism advancing the recesses towards and beyond the ring collar at a predetermined rate.

9. The coining press according to claim 8, characterized in that the table is disposed immediately below the index table.

10. The coining press according to claim 9, characterized in that the coin-feeding means comprise a storage chute for the coin blanks, the chute extending above the table and the index table.

11. The coining press according to claim 10, characterized in that a transparent cover is provided for the index table.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,910,096

' DATED 3 October 7, 197

INVENTOR(S) Alfred Debus It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

' Column 2, line 60, delete 40" and insert 41--.

Signed and Scaled this thirteenth Day Of January 1976' O [SEAL] Attesr:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Q Arresting Officer Commissioner ofPalenrs and Trademarks 

1. A coining press having a coining drive comprising a powertransmitting element, means for feeding coin blanks via a table to a ring collar, a driven male die and an ejector die which are opposed and adapted to be pressed together by means of the coining drive with the interposition in each coining operation of a coin blank retained by the ring collar, and having an ejector and an ejector drive means for removing the coined coin blanks characterized in that the coining drive is disposed in the bottom part of the press and each stroke at the coining drive is made upwardly, whereas the ejector drive means is disposed in the top part of the press and the stroke of the ejector drive is made downwardly; and the power-transmitting element has a top portion the downwardly directed stroke of which is so limited that, before the coin blank feeding and coin blank ejector means operate, the coining surface of the driven male die is flush with the table.
 2. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that the ejector drive means is a pressure source which in operation is operative continuously on the ejector die, the ejector pressure being less than the coining pressure; and the ejector die being adapted to move freely between the coining position and the ejection position and is always returned by the continuous pressure of the ejector drive means into the ejection position whenever the pressure of the oppositely directed coining stroke ceases.
 3. The coining press according to claim 1 characterized in that the ejector drive means has a pneumatic element the pressure of which acts via intermediate elements on the ejector die.
 4. The coining press according to claim 1 characterized in that the ring collar is disposed above the table at a distance therefrom which is slightly greater than the thickness of a coin blank.
 5. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that a stationary part of the coining drive, a yoke and two through bolts form a stationary press frame which is symmetrical of the coining station and by way of which the stress lines arising from the coining operation are closed.
 6. The coining press according to claim 5, characterized in that the said through-bolts also serve as guides for the bottom part of the power-transmitting element and have lateral extensions having guide sleeves.
 7. The coining press according to claim 5, characterized in that an abutment is provided which abutment is adjustable and locatable relatively to the yoke and which determines the stroke length of the ejector die.
 8. The coining press according to claim 1, characterized in that the coin blank feeding and coin blank ejector means comprise a step-by-step feed mechanism having an index table formed with recesses to receive the coin blanks and the coined coin blanks; and the plane of said index table is disposed perpendicularly to the direction of coining, the feed mechanism advancing the recesses towards and beyond the ring collar at a predetermined rate.
 9. The coining press according to claim 8, characterized in that the table is disposed immediately below the index table.
 10. The coining press according to claim 9, characterized in that the coin-feeding means comprise a storage chute for The coin blanks, the chute extending above the table and the index table.
 11. The coining press according to claim 10, characterized in that a transparent cover is provided for the index table. 